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I think you will find, pan, that the vociferous folks to which you are referring were in the minority. And that the majority of the changes that they made were the direct result of laws being changed, not by a majority of voters but by a vocal minority that found a voice in government that was willing to stand up and speak for them.
I would wager that prior to those laws being altered, if any of those issues had been put to a referendum it would have not gone down the same way.
In Canada, gay marriage did not become acceptable in the eyes of the law until the previous laws were challenged in court and struck down because they did not meet the requirements of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If the issue had been put to a majority vote, it would not have changed. The ideals (and laws) of the Charter are what are paramount, not the will of the people. It was the will of the people that created the Charter. It serves as a legal buffer against a tyranny of the majority. Not everyone is going to be happy with these sorts of laws being enacted. But then, justice is blind.
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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
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